In memoriam: Clive James, Gary Rhodes

Two prominent presenters in UK non-fiction television have passed on over the course of this week.
Clive James (left), Australian-born writer, television presenter and critic, passed away on Sunday, November 24, ...

Two prominent presenters in UK non-fiction television have passed on over the course of this week.

Clive James (left), Australian-born writer, television presenter and critic, passed away on Sunday, November 24, at the age of 80 after battling leukemia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for the past decade.

Based in the UK for the majority of his life, James gained popularity with TV audiences via presenting such series as ITV’s Clive James on Television, in which he used his acerbic wit to critique bizarre programming from other parts of the world. Other programs included the series Saturday Night Clive, travel series such as Clive James In… and such documentaries as the BBC/ABC/PBS series Fame in the 20th Century. He ended that series with the observation: “Achievement without fame can be a rewarding life, while fame without achievement is no life at all.”

Gary Rhodes (right), who died on Wednesday, November 27 after suffering from a subdural haematoma, or collection of blood between the skull and the surface of the brain, also seemed to abide by that observation, having gained fame via culinary series such as MasterChef – both the UK and U.S. versions — and the BBC’s Rhodes around Britain after reaching Michelin-star status as a chef. He owned various restaurants in myriad locales around the globe.

At the time of his death, at the age of 59, Rhodes was in Dubai, where he had lived since 2011, and working on a new series for ITV with prodco Rock Oyster Media and parent company Goldfinch TV.

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About The Author

Jillian Morgan is a special reports editor at realscreen with a background in journalism and digital marketing. She joined the publication in 2019 after serving as the assistant editor to trade publications HPAC and On-Site. With a bachelor of journalism from the University of King's College in Halifax, she also works as a freelance writer and fact-checker.